2013 Event Reviews

All I can say is WOW!  Terror on Rural Street is one of those haunts that I have been to so many times, I wasn't sure how impressed I was going to be.  I'll admit it now, I was dead wrong!  We arrived at Terror on Rural Street to find a very busy parking lot.  Don't be deceived though, it is a shared lot, you won't have to wait two hours to enter the haunt!  After we got our tickets, we entered the waiting area where benches are ample, and concessions are a plenty.  It's a nice waiting area, where you can relax, and grab a snack, or a beverage (adult beverages are available! {none for me though, I had work to do!}).  This area would have been better if there was any entertainment.  No ghosts or ghouls roamed, instead, you just sit and wait.  Guests are called by the number on their ticket stub to enter the haunt, and away you go...  to another waiting area.  Truth be told, this one goes fast, it just lines you up and gets you into groups for the haunt.  And now you're ready to enter!

Terror on Rural Street is a wonderful tour of fantastic sets and scenes.  Since Terror on Rural Street has over a decade of experience, their ability to set a scene is far and away their strong suit.  In Terror on Rural Street, you'll travel through many rooms, all intricately decorated with different nightmarish themes, the most memorable for me was a maze of inflated walls (we got separated from our group in this maze!). 

The most fascinating part of Terror on Rural Street was how much fun we had!  When you've been to a haunt several times, they tend to get stale, but somehow Terror on Rural Street has remained new, and relevant.  In my case, I tend to look at haunts from an artistic standpoint, and don't expect to jump, or be frightened.  Terror on Rural Street did both of those things, I definitely jumped, and my heart got pumping!  All of that, plus a detail oriented haunt makes Terror on Rural Street my surprise haunt of the season.  Hats off to the staff at Terror on Rural Street for keeping it new and fresh every year.  Great job Terror on Rural Street!

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From the ashes, Haunted High returns!  This year, it takes the form of Terror @ 212.  New location, new haunted fun!  When I found out that last October was going to be the final Halloween season for Haunted High, I must admit, I was crushed.  Haunted High had everything going for them, great staff, awesome volunteers, and a dream location, a closed down high school.  But like all good things, it had to come to an end, and the land the school sat on was sold.  So going into this season, I was excited to hear that the folks who brought us Haunted High were back, with a new venue, and a new theme. 



Not being from the area, I naturally drove right past the place, even though it is plenty lit up, and there are two large signs letting you know that it was
here!  Once there, we entered the waiting area, which, fortunately for us because it was raining, was a giant heated tent.  A few concessions were
available, most noticeably a stand selling some of those delicious roasted, sugary nuts.  Once we bought our tickets, we were directed to the corrals,
where we waited to enter the haunt.  I must admit I was a little let down that the waiting area wasn't as entertaining as Haunted High was in the
past.  A few ghouls roamed around, and a very crowd friendly Jason came through with a chainsaw, but Haunted High had that really cool warped gym
floor, and would project horror movie trailers on the wall.  I did learn, however, that the projector would return, but because of the rainy weather,
they didn't want to risk it. 



The haunt itself was amazing.  Because the new location is roughly 1/10th the size of the school, they were forced to hit hard you from start to finish,
with little down time, something the school location couldn't offer because its enormous.  This theme heavy haunt relies heavily on throwing off your
equilibrium, and challenging your senses.  From pitch darkness, to blinding lights, to smoky haze, and from complete silence, to deafening sound,
you may not know which way is up.



Terror @ 212 is split up by themes.  Jungle, carnival, and industrial are just a few of the spooky areas you will visit at 212.  The detail that the
workers put into the sets and props are what sets 212 apart from the other haunts.  I naturally take my time and try to pay attention to details, and
boy am I glad I did.  Do yourself a favor, soak it all in, this place is professional!  Sets and detail are great, but they are nothing without
good actors, and 212 has some of the best.  One of the advantages to having a smaller space is the ability to be more selective when it comes to
hiring talent.  You can tell 212 hired the best of the best.  All of the actors I encountered were dedicated to making you jump! 



I think it's fitting to give Terror @ 212 a letter grade, since after all, it is put on by the folks who brought us Haunted High, and all of the proceeds go
to the Oconomowoc Public Education Foundation.  I give Terror @ 212 a solid A+!  Bravo Terror @ 212, you made the best of a crummy situation and hit it out of the park.  If you are looking for the best fright in the area, look no further than Terror @ 212! 

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Terror on Rural Street was at the top of my list of haunts to review this year so when I arrived on Saturday night I was extremely excited.  Terror on Rural Street is a haunt that I try to attend each year and there is a simple reason.  Each year this haunt delivers true scares, laughs, and fun, and it manages to do so while continuously mixing things up which makes each year uniquely frightening.  My visit this year is quite possibly my favorite of any that I have made to Terror on Rural Street.

Upon arriving at the haunt, the parking lot seemed pretty full, but we managed to find a spot fairly quickly.  We later found out that this is due to the parking lot being a shared lot, but there is plenty of additional parking across the street and on a main street located near the haunt.  As we walked up to the haunt the ambiance quickly becomes spooky.  We walked right up and got our tickets.  There was no line for tickets!  After we received our tickets, we headed into a large waiting area that is warm and dry.  This was a literal warm welcome on Saturday night because the weather was doing its own part to create a creepy setting for our haunt visits.  There is a concession area that that can provide you with a variety of drinks and treats while you enjoy your warm wait with plenty of seating!  Another plus, it is not very often that while you wait in line at a haunt you get to sit down.  I waited for my three digit number to be called, and after a short wait of approximately fifteen minutes, it was. 

We were escorted past a wonderfully decorated outside area and into a dark creepy building with very low lighting.  This is where we waited to enter the haunt.  In this area, our wait
was only about seven minutes during which time we handed in our tickets and learned the rules of the haunt.  Then a door opened and the group was on our way in.  This haunt works on your senses on so many levels.  The sound effects and lighting are spectacular.  There are so many unique areas decorated with clever and realistic props.  The actors at this haunt made me jump several times, as was the case with most of our group, as we passed through the many rooms, passages and mazes that seemed to swallow me in darkness. 

This haunt brought me in contact with a myriad of characters in an impressive number of areas.  These actors were really working us and we were consistently being startled by someone or something.  I was also assaulted by ear-piercing noises, chills, moving and uneven ground, in addition to an array of completely disorientating light shows.  Then quickly the darkness returned again.  This grouping of special effects had an incredibly successful influence on our group, since as we traveled through the house our group went the wrong way several times.  Our terrifying acquaintances actually
suggested that we change leaders on multiple occasions because we kept getting lost. 

Terror on Rural Street also delivers on every level so there is something for everyone.  The variety of scenes and special effects are too high to count when you are experiencing it.  Stylized areas vary widely from an attack of the insect variety to cannibals with imprisoned victims screaming for anyone to help you.  There were also some amazing special effects that create a brand new way to experience a twisted maze.  I also was lucky enough to experience a great deal of laughs delivered by a group of great actors in the haunt.  The interaction they provided with us as the visitors was amazing.  They teased and followed us, mocked and surprised us and delivered quite a few witty lines.  I felt infected by the atmosphere and the haunt seemed to last and last.     

Eventually we manipulated our way through an amazing spinning vortex and a maze that confused and befuddled us so much that we lost part of our group.  We ended our journey on a scare and with a scream.  My time inside the haunt lasted about twenty minutes and was amazing.  This haunt pulled me in, and during those twenty minutes  I was filled with fright, excitement, confusion, and delight. 

Terror on Rural Street offers an amazing experience that is well worth the price of admission with a very professional mood.  The area is well lit, clean, and the people who work there are courteous and professional. I enjoyed Terror on Rural Street tremendously and am ready to go visit again.  I highly recommend a visit to Terror on Rural Street this year so you can experience this thrillingly fun haunt firsthand.                         

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